Clamp or clothespin



June 16, 1931. 1 L, H, TAN 1,810,304

' CLAMP OR CLO'IPHESPIN Filed Oct. 12. 1929 x HlNVENTOR ATTORNEYPatented June 16, 1931 g relaxer;

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LOUIS H; TANG-EN, F ,DULUTH', 'MINNESOTA CLAMP on oto'rnnsrinApplication file'rl'october .12, 1929.1 Serial lie-[3 9 9,275.

Myinvention relates to clamps including,

spring actuated clothes pins, and has for its object the provision, ofan improved spring actuated clamp or clothes pin embodying a safetylock.It has for a further object the provlslon of a spring actuated clamp orclothes pin embodying improvements in means for preventing the twistingof the clamp jaws, and pivot attaching means for 1 preventing thenon-radial separation ofthe clamp jaws. WVith these and other objects inView, it consists of the structures, combinations andarrangements ofpartshereinafter described and claimed.

is a side elevation of the partly completed jaws of one form of my saidinvention, said jaws in said partly completed state being old in theart. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one '20 form of an, actuatingspring which may be embodied'in my said invention, said form of saidspring beingold in the art. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of said formof'jaws and form of spring. Fig. 4: is a'perspective view of an improvedform of saidspring forming part of my said lnvention. F 1g.i5 1s a s deelevation of said aws and improved form or s rin Fi 6 is a to) lan viewof said a a aws and improved form of spring. Fig. 7

isa side elevation of said jaws as furthercompleted, showing saidimproved form'of spring and ,a'lock. Fig 8 1s a perspective view or"*oneform of said lock, F 1g. 9 1s a side elevation of one "form ofmysaid inven- 5 tion, showing a pivot attachlng means. Fig.

10' is an-end elevationof said pivot attaching means, and Fig. 11 1s atop plan viewof my said invention.

In the drawings, 1 and 2 are opposite aws of a clamp, or clothes pin,which are adapted to rock on a. portion 3 of a coiled spring extendingtransversely between them, the

opposite terminals of which coil are extended parallel with the sidesofsaid jaws 15' towardthe, biting ends thereof and one of said terminalsis bent over the nose of one of said jaws as'at 3*,and the other of saidterminals is bent under the nose of the opposite jaw as at 3 wherebysaid biting ends are normally but yieldingly' held together,

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. .1,

it being old in the art to hold them together by such means and in thatmanner. Said forwardly directed spring extensions also tend to preservethe parallelism of said jaws against lateral twist or. displacement, butthe leverageis such that in a high wind said extensions have been foundtoo weak to preserve such lateral displacement when the clamp is usedfor pinning heavy clothes on the clothes line. Itherefore prefer to makethe outer turns, 3 3 of the coilor"; the spring of greater diameter thanthe intermediate turns, so that said outer turns will iorm cheek piecesfor said jaws approximately concentric with the fulcrum portion of thecoil 3 or axis of the rocking movement of said jaws. But if desired saidenlarged turns maybe omitted. To open said jaws for the. purpose ofinserting the biting ends over the material or object'to beclamped, therearward endslof thejaws are pinched together manually in opposition totheclcs ingpower of said, spring. The. spring is therefore usually lightenough to permit the p opening of the jaws by operatorshaving littlemanual strength, in which case heavy clothing, or light clothing instrong winds,

rear of the rocking axis of said clamp, which look comprises an angular.plate 4: positioned above said jaw 1 and having a depending flange4extending through a slot 1 in said jaw. 1 and into a slot 2* in said jaw2. Said lock is eccentrically pivoted-to said jaw 1 as by the pivot pin1 and said flange in lockingyposition bears upon; a stop'pin 2 whichextends'into its path within said slot 2 ,Since the [clamp may beinverted, I provide a spring of any suitable form, structure orlocation, as the spring 5,15*,.or 5 ,'so'- positioned asto normally holdsaid lock in" locking position. Said lockis provided-with a angular"handle portion 4* for manually counterrockingsaid lock on its pivot; inopposition toeither-form 5, 5 or 5 of said lock-holding spring, tounlock said clamp},

When said lock is in looking position, it 1.20

would be possible to force open the biting ends of the jaws therebylifting the jaws from their normal rocking axis on said coil if no meansother than the ends 3, 3, were providedto hold said jaws in rockingposition on said coil. I therefore provide retaining means of anysuitable structure for that purpose as the clips ,6 and 7, one of whichclips passes through said coil and eX- tends over the top of said jaw 1,and the other of which clips extends through saidcoil and under said jaw2.

In operation, to open said jaws, theraised end of the plate 4 ismanually depressed in opposition to the spring 5 (or 5 or 5 whichdepression causes the flange of saidlock to swing clear of said stop 2".The depressing movement is continued so as to bring the rearward ends ofthe jaws together and simultaneously open the clamp at its biting end.Upon releasing the rearward ends of the clamp, the jaws are closed bythe action of the coiled spring and its free ends, and the look isreturned to locking position by said spring 5 (5 or 5") or equivalent.

It will be observed that in Fig. 9, the nose of the clamp is extendedmuch farther forward of the spring terminals 3", 3 than in the otherfigures, and that in said Fig. 9, the opposite jaws of said clamp arepreferably spaced a little from each other forward of said springterminals to provide an easy entrance. This I regard as also animprovement since in such case, having omitted, or removed, or retractedthe lock, it will be practicable to push. the clamp or clothes pin intooperative position on the goods to be clamped without requiring therearward ends of the clamp to be directly pinched together by theoperator.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A clampcomprising rockable jaws, means for rocking said jaws into clampingposition, .an angular. plate positioned above the handle portion of oneof said jaws and having a depending flange eccentrically pivoted to andextending through the handle portion of one of said jaws and extend.-ing loosely into the handle portion of the opposite one of said jaws,and a bearing stop positioned in said opposite handle portion andadapted to limit the downward and backward movement of said flange.

2. A clamp comprising rockable jaws, a resilient fulcrum for said jaws,and clips engaging said fulcrum and jaws for holding said jaws inrockable position against said fulcrum.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix I signature.

LOUIS H. TANGEN.

